I'm with Cheno

Okay, the Newsweek thing saying America doesn’t buy gay actors playing straight characters. Um, somebody has told this guy that it’s all pretend, right? Hugh Jackman doesn’t really have metal claws that shoot from his knuckles. Morgan Freeman isn’t really God. And no matter how heterosexual two actors playing opposite each other are, they aren’t really in love. Unless they are Brad and Angelina. But that’s a different story.

Acting is successfully representing something you aren’t. Always. Tom Hanks usually plays Tom Hanks, in some version or other. But he’s doing things that Tom Hanks isn’t really doing. Saying things that he didn’t think up. He’s not even wearing his own clothes. And he does it really well. Meryl Streep completely becomes other people. And you believe her. They’re good actors. If a gay or lesbian actor can’t play straight. It’s not because they are gay or lesbian. It’s because they’re not a very good actor.

Every actor, like every singer or even every artist, has a range. Heather Graham I buy as a nympho-sexpot grocery store clerk. Heather Graham I do NOT buy as an astrophysicist. Not even a nympho astrophysicist. That is her range. I’d believe Neil Patrick Harris as gay (the Tonys). But I’d also buy him as a straight mad scientist (Dr. Horrible). That’s range, baby.

And as to the Newsweek article singling out Sean Hayes in Promises, Promises. Dude. It’s musical theater. No man comes off straight doing musical theater. It’s always graded on a bell curve. John Wayne would come off a little gay doing musicals. And people who love musicals know this. As long as the actor is cute and has a good voice (Sean Hayes is a “yes” on both of those) who really cares?